The Rats Of The Interior
by mikamisako23
Summary: Levi Ackerman lives by one rule: never help anyone. On the harsh streets of the underground, Levi's only interest is surviving. Then he meets the whirlwind known as Daisy. She's out for revenge against the Military Police, and against his better judgement, he helps her. Even if that means going against the MP's themselves...by joining the MP's . (Levi X OC) Please read and review!
1. Chapter 1: Runaway Rat

**Hello! This is the first chapter of my AOT fan fic, and this is my first ever (published) piece of AOT work! It centres around Levi, before the events of the main story and No Regrets, but still when he's living in the underground. I will use some of my own headcanon about the underground, so it fits in with the storyline I've created. Also, Levi's probably around 18, so as the story progresses, I will be changing some facts to fit his age. **

**The pairings will be Levi X OC, and he'll be the main canon character in the fic, although Erwin might make an appearance, and in the right end (in many chapters time), Eren and Mikasa will appear in the epilogue. **

**Anyway, I hope you enjoy this fan fic. If you did, maybe you could leave me a review at the end?**

* * *

_**Disclaimer: I don't own AOT, or Levi, unfortunately **_**:'( ,**_** but I do own my OC character.**_

* * *

**Chapter One: Runaway Rat**

I gaze up at the sky, shielding my eyes from the bright white yellow sun. My dark grey eyes narrow, and I drop my gaze, my features going dark in annoyance. The sky is bright blue, the sun a blinding yellow: it's too happy, considering I'm not exactly happy right now.

I keep my body weight centred to the ground as I crouch down on my feet, my brown boots making almost no noise on the cobbled floor. I'm hiding behind a crumbling wall, my eyes staring through a crack in this said wall as I watch the con men hand money over to the corrupt bastards known as the Military Police. They then pick up the guns sold to them by the aforementioned bastards, and walk off, whistling happily, pleased with the deal, no doubt.

I scowl.

Those people make me sick, the Military Police, I mean. Not because I think it's unjust to the people here in the Interior, and definitely not because I want to change the world, make it a better place. No, it's because they will shoot me as soon as they see me, but they would just sell guns to the highest bidder without a second thought of how those weapons might be used.  
My jaw clenches as their faces flash in front of me._ No, I said I wouldn't think about that._ I tell myself firmly, shutting the memories down._ They make me weak, and I can't afford that right now._

The soldiers walk away in the opposite direction their buyers (the con men they were dealing with a few minutes ago), chattering among themselves. I stalk them like a cat, listening into their conversation while keeping my head down low, lest I be seen and have to run.

"...So, I hear that there's been more robberies from that weapons locker down town." One guy, a tallish man with a shadow of a beard on his jawline, says to his companion, a shorter man with large ears. Both men are wearing a light tan coloured jacket, with the Military Police's insignia emblazoned across the back. My own reasonable sized ears perk up at this comment. The weapons locker's been robbed? And it's not by me, I know that. I stopped stealing from the one they're talking about months ago. So who else is challenging the blood sucking pieces of crap in front of me?

"Really?" The other man sounds surprised. "Those rats that live on the streets are disgusting. They'll do just about anything to survive, even steal from the king's personal army!"  
"I know, it's disgusting." The first man agrees. "We're tripling the guard tonight, just in case he strikes again."

"I bet that filthy bastard gets shot, right in the head." The second man enthuses. "And with the armed guards awaiting them now, it's more likely than ever that it'll happen!"

My eyes narrow further. I despise these pigs who take pleasure in our deaths. And by our, I mean the ones who live in the underground, the true city underneath the official one. Where all the sleazy people go, rich or poor, for anything they could possible want, be it drugs, alcohol or prostitutes. And of course you have us, the street urchins, who are forced to live down there because it's the only place we can go. It's the only place that will accept us.

The men walk off into the distance, and I make the decision not to follow them any further, deciding instead to go back to where I belong. Away from the surface, and back into the shadows of this world, just like the rat I'm considered to be.

* * *

"Oh, look, it's Levi!" A tall man hollers from behind the bar. The man, who's hair is styled in a Mohawk style, is the owner of this watering hole, and is as shady as any other bar down here. For a generous price, you could buy yourself a room here - and someone to accompany you if that's what you so wished.

I ignore the looks I'm getting from all sides and sit down at the bar. People here don't like me, mostly because they don't know who I am. All they see is a short guy with grey eyes who doesn't look like he belongs here. Probably because I don't.

"Anything with alcohol, Algal." I say curtly, resting my feet in one of the stool's supports, my elbows digging into the chipped wood of the bar. Do I particularly like alcohol? No, not really. But Algal is unfortunately one of my acquaintances, and in order to keep the information tap running from his end, I have to make an appearance at his bar weekly and order at least one drink. Personally, I despise it here. The place could do with a deep clean, but I'd accept a wipe of the countertop in front of me at the moment. I can almost see the dirt crawling all over the cracked wood. But Algal is one of the best informants on the government stockpiles around, so I tolerate it to get what I need.

"Here you go, Levi." Algal hands me a glass half filled with a dark amber liquid. I inspect the glass carefully, grimacing as I see the water spots decorating it. I pay Algal for the drink before leaving it to go stagnant in front of me as I consider what I heard earlier.  
Another person stealing from the Military Police...not unusual on it's own, since most people do steal from those bastards, but what puzzles me is how. Last time I tried that weapon's locker, I was nearly captured and I was shot, in the side. Luckily it wasn't fatal, but still. I was fast, faster than the average street kid. So what made this one so special that they deserved an armed guard battalion to be waiting for their eventual return?

"What's bothering you, Levi?" Algal's voice snaps me out of my thoughts. I blink at him, and then narrow my already slanted eyes.  
"I don't pay you for the chatter, Algal." I point out, crossing my arms down on the counter. "Just the information."

However, he doesn't back up, instead Algal simply waits for me to speak. He's not one to take a hint that easily.  
My eyebrows knit together in annoyance as the man watches me, waiting for me to break. Unfortunately for him, he still hasn't learnt that I do not crack that easily. So instead of spilling my guts out to him, I just sit there quite calmly and stare at him. Algal's dark blue eyes try and match mine for their fierceness, but he's loosing before he's even begun. I could win tournaments for my staring.

"Fine, I won't ask." He sighs in defeat finally. "But Levi, I would be careful." Algal's tone drops to a low whisper, so only I can hear it. I pretend to be interested in the contents of my glass as Algal whispers the information I paid for to me. "The Military Police are looking for someone. A street kid, like you. Only they're known for breaking into things and waiting until the last moment before running. As if they enjoy the moment just before the chase. And they don't know what they look like, so they're conducting random searches. I'd hide your stash well, my friend. Or you could end up dead." Algal finishes. "And that'll be a sad day, Levi Ackerman. A very sad day."

"Thanks for the drink." I say almost carelessly, ignoring Algal's clear concern for my welfare, as I get to my feet, pushing the creaky wooden stool back with one foot as I do so. It screeches in protest against the wooden floor, prompting everyone to glance at me I assume without turning my head to look. I walk away from the counter, tucking my hands into my trouser pockets, whistling a low tune under my breath, even though I'm yet to even try my drink.

But I can't let alcohol inhibit my actions right now.  
I have a stash to hide.

* * *

I swallow as I creep down a back alley, my brown boots soundless against the stone. The sky has darkened to a raspberry pink, the clouds like a dusting of white against the dark pink canvas of the sky. My stash is hidden in an old underground bunker, whish you can only get to through a hatch in the ground. Most people assume it's a hatch for garbage, and most of the time I find myself clearing old waste out.

It's better to go and secure my stash at evening time since the robber that the Military Police are so concerned about will strike at night, if they value their hide. But if what Algal said is true, they might strike earlier, like now in the evening. Yet I doubt that. No one could be _that_ stupid.

The cost for stealing Military Police possessions is jail time, and then a likely execution. Neither of these options seem like something I'd want to do, especially since the cell's are probably filthy. And anyway, if the Military Police saw what I have stashed away from them...they'd probably shoot me right there and then. And I don't want to die, so I better hope that they don't catch me, or my stash.

I stop by the wooden hatch, noticing that the wood is cracking. _Maybe I should do something about that._ I muse to myself. _Winter's coming, and it wouldn't be good if my stash was compromised because I couldn't be bothered to fix a few damn cracks in the wood._  
I swallow, looking around in case anyone's around. I'm about to kneel down to open it when I'm, quite suddenly, knocked flat onto my back.

I blink, looking up to see a girl splayed out on top of me. Obviously she was running down this alley, but why? She scrambles to her feet, a huge sack slung over her shoulder, her bright amber gold eyes sparkling mischievously. I stare up at her, supporting my body on my hands. The sun is positioned directly behind her, making her reddish hair shine prettily.

"Sorry, got to go!" She yells at me, glancing over her shoulder as if she's being persecuted. Realisation dawns on me as I connect the pieces: street attire, a sack over one shoulder, the nervous glances..._This_ is the robber that's got everyone so worried.

But...she's a _girl_?

Quickly, I get to my feet, and push the hatch open. The girl gives me a very weird look, as if questioning my sanity. To be honest, she's not the only one wondering what the hell I'm doing.  
"Get in." I tell her, my eyes darting around as we hear the footsteps that indicate the Military Police are coming.

"She went down here!" One of the men yells loudly. The men start to run towards the alley we're in.  
"Get in!" I say urgently. What the hell am I doing? It's every man for himself (or apparently_ her_self) out here! Especially after what happened last time I tried to help someone. But I can't stop myself. I can't shut myself up. All I know is that somehow I can't leave this girl to the bastards hunting her. And I don't know why. Any other day, I wouldn't of hesitated to leave her to the wolves. But today...

"I don't even know you, shorty." She shakes her head in disbelief, getting ready to run again. "Why would I trust you? For all I know, you're about to sell me out!"

But before she can run away, my arm whips out at lightning speed and my fingers curl tightly around her wrist. The girl barely has any time to reach before I've pulled her backwards, chucking her into the dark hole that was once covered by the wooden hatch. Then, hearing the Military Police approach, I jump in after her, slamming the hatch door shut as I do so, plunging us into darkness.


	2. Chapter 2: Strange Hiding Places

**Hello, guys! Thanks so much for the reviews, favourites and follows! They made my day! :)**

_**I know I said I'll update weekly, but this update's a few days early! Yay!**_

**Here's the next chapter, and please leave a review and tell me what you think.**

**I hope you enjoy it! :) **

* * *

_**Disclaimer: Still don't own AOT, sadly, but I do own my OC character! **_

* * *

**Chapter Two: Strange Hiding Places**

"Ow!" The girl I've just hidden from the Military police says mournfully, rubbing her elbow sadly. "That fricking hurt!"

"Would you be quiet?" I hiss at her, just able to see the girl's silhouette in the dim lighting of the room. "Or do you _want_ to be caught?"

"Could of chucked me in a little nicer." She continues to grumble as I listen for any footsteps outside the hatch. I tilt my ear against the lid of this bunker, and hear a few scuffing of boots against the stone pavement outside. I hold my breath, praying that they don't find us. Luckily, the girl behind me has decided to keep her goddamn mouth shut, and the footsteps move away, assuming that the robber has escaped somehow.

I wait for a few more painstaking moments, just to make sure that they're really gone, before I rummage around and light up a candle. The gentle golden light illuminates the dark room, creating long black shadows on the wall.

The room is a small, scraped out bunker in the ground, only about 7 feet deep and 6 feet wide, and my weapons are stacked up in boxes all around. The girl inches closer to the puddle of light, the flames playing softly over her peach coloured skin. Our eyes continuing watching the others suspiciously, we both lower our bodies to the ground until we are seated on the dusty floor.  
_Why the hell did you have to bring her down here, Levi?_ I berate myself._ You don't help others, remember?_

The girl's liquid amber eyes are trained on mine, and I start to think that maybe I've got a competitor in my staring.

"I could of gotten out of there by myself, you know." She says finally, her tone arrogant. I blink at her. Seriously? I save her from probable death at the hands of those bastards, and she's not even _grateful_? What the hell!

"You were about 3 seconds away from being caught!" I point out angrily. The girl blows a shorter lock of her hair out of her face. The rest of her messy hair is tied into a loose ponytail, resting gently on her right shoulder. It's wavy, and coloured a reddish brown, and it looks so soft that I think it might be nice to run my fingers through it.

I shake myself mentally. Rescuing people? That's not my style. Yet why did I save this girl?  
"Without me, you'd be _dead_ now, probably. The least you could do is thank me." I tell her, irritation warping my voice. The candlelight flickers slightly, and silence fills the bunker, stifling me to half death.  
_She's not even grateful? The damn-_  
_No, damn _you_, Levi, for helping her!_

"Thank you." The girl interrupts my thoughts. Her words are softly spoken, and I can hear a slight lilt to her voice, like a melodic song. It's quite pleasing on the ears, actually. "It's appreciated."  
"You're welcome." I say in my normal, deadpan tone, although I'm at least happy that she's acknowledged the part I played in helping her. Especially since I took a huge risk in doing so.  
The girl looks up, smiling mischievously.

"I'm Daisy." She introduces herself, sticking out a hand as she tucks her knees in close to her body. "Daisy Hades."

_Interesting name_. I think to myself._ Hades. Means hell._ Something silver glimmers from around her neck, but I ignore it, putting it down to the candle light. Warily, I take her hand and shake it abruptly.  
"Aren't you going to tell me _your_ name?" The girl - Daisy - asks, tilting her head to one side.

"I'm Levi Ackerman." I tell her, the abruptness of my handshake transferring over into my voice.

"Levi..." She tests out my name, letting the two syllables settle around her tongue. I try to ignore how when she says my name, it sounds like liquid honey pouring from her mouth. Something about how she speaks is oddly fascinating, and somehow it enthralls me. "You're pretty short, aren't you, Levi?" She asks me, her soft rose lips curving upwards into a smile. I can't help but let a growl escape my throat at her casual mention of my short stature. Not that it bothers me, but how she mentions it makes me seem...laughable.

"How tall are you?" She enquires, wrapping her long arms around her legs, her hands stroking up her shin bones absentmindedly.

"5'2." My response is snappy: this girl is so irritating! It's as if she's been sent just to annoy me.  
"I'm 5'6." She informs me. "Imagine that, Levi: there's like 4 inches in between us!"

As Daisy continues to marvel at our difference in height, I return to my earlier point. The robber everyone's so concerned about is a _girl_? Naturally, since no one had actually seen her face, I had assumed that _she_ would be a _he_. Not to be sexist, but most people who challenge the Military Police are male, just because they can evade any pursuers easier. Males tend to be faster, and frankly more willing to take the risk of stealing from the corrupt bastards.

"You do know that it's incredibly stupid to steal at this time of day." I tell her, my tone bordering on lecturing. "You're more likely to get caught."

"Oh, I know." Daisy replies carelessly, throwing her hair back away from her face. "But that's the fun of it, eh, Levi? The chase? The moment where you're almost caught, but then you escape? The adrenaline racing through your veins like blood, the fear singing through your heart, and the wind blowing through your hair as you run at breakneck speeds to escape..." She sighs, her eyes sparkling. "That's what I live for."

I stare at her, my eyes wide. Surely she's not that stupid, right? No one could really want to risk their life..._for the thrill_, right?  
"Sometimes, I deliberately let them get close." She confides, her tone light and full of memories.  
Yep. It's confirmed. She's really _that_ stupid.

"Anyway, Levi, you're not so clean yourself." She retorts, glancing around meaningfully at all the illegal weapons I have stored up here.  
"Yeah, but I do it without getting caught." I point out to her, my voice dripping with derision. "Unlike _you_."

"I've never gotten caught in my life!" Daisy juts her chin up proudly. "And I can do what I want, okay?"  
"I'm not saying you can't!" I retort right back at her. "But I'm not always going to be around to help you."

"Why did you, anyway?" Daisy's eyes narrow with a frightening precision. "Help me. What do you have to gain from this? Was it because I'm a girl? 'Cause if that's what you're looking for-"  
"No!" I protest, interrupting her mid sentence. "I did not help you so I could use you. What kind of person do you take me for?" I take a deep breath, calming myself. I'm letting my emotions run too high: maybe it's this girl, she brings something out in me. "And for why I saved you..." I trail off. Why did I save her? Why did I risk myself and my hideout for her, some girl I don't even know? "I don't know, really. I just acted." I admit to her. Daisy bites at her lower lip, capturing it with her teeth. "Okay?"

"Okay." Daisy says finally. "To tell to the truth, I might have needed your help. I let things get too close this time."

"You're welcome." My voice is gruff. Too many emotions stifle the air, making it hard to breathe. Or maybe it's because of the candle flame, eating up our oxygen and spewing smoke in the air. I blow out the flame, plunging us back into the semi darkness.  
"Hey!" Daisy protests. "What the fricking hell, Levi?"

"I'm going to check if the coast is clear." I explain. As my fingers creep up to the hatch, I realise that once I open it, Daisy won't have to stick around, and she'll probably run off into the night. A part of me wants her to stay. A part of me wants to find out more about this mystery girl. A part of me is _crazy_.

_Levi, get a grip_. I tell myself firmly._ Every man or woman for themselves, remember? You can't afford to get tied down to someone._

_But what if I want to? _A small voice in my head asks. My fingers manage to prise the hatch lid back open, and the creak dispels all thoughts from my head.

My narrow grey eyes scan the outside carefully. I see no one, so I lift the lid up and slip out.  
"Come on." I urge Daisy, offering my hand to help her out. She takes it, and I pull her out of the hatch, slamming it down quickly after her. Daisy brushes herself off from the dust She's gathered from inside my bunker, glancing up at the now dark sky with a smile fixed on her lips. Now that we're outside, and in better lighting conditions, I can see that Daisy's dressed in a tight, untucked white shirt, with an open collar that exposes her collarbones and a smooth swath of her warm peach skin. Latin across her elegant collarbones is a silver chain necklace, which would be the source of the earlier glint from around her neck. Her legs are clothed in light tan coloured trousers, and she's wearing brown boots that come up to the middle of her calves. Her whole outfit is similar to mine, which consists of a white, open collared shirt which I tuck into my faded brown trousers, and my boots come up to my knee unlike hers.

"I like the stars." Daisy comments, a faint breeze blowing through her tangled locks. My hair also blows in the wind, messing it up further. "They remind me that there's a world out there, beyond these walls and beyond the reign of the bastard police." She pauses. "Also, they're pretty."  
"Mmmm." I glance up at the sky, not really understanding what she means. To me, the stars are just dots of light in the sky. They mean nothing, and they aren't eye catching or noteworthy. It's just the sky.  
It occurs to me that I'll have to part ways with Daisy soon, but she doesn't look like she intends on leaving me. How long does she intend to stay at my side?

"Come on, Levi." She gestures that I follow her as her mouth grins at me again.  
"What?" I ask tiredly. She's so chatty, and it hurts my head.

"You saved me, didn't you?" Daisy shrugs. "So I'm going to buy you a drink to celebrate, okay?"  
"I don't really like alcohol." I inform her. Daisy gives me a withering look.

"Don't be silly. Everyone likes some wine now and again." Suddenly, her arm links with mine and before I know it, she's yanking my body to follow her. "I know a great place."

"We just met." I point out to her, digging my heels into the ground the bring her to a stop. It works, as we stop and Daisy turns her amber eyes onto me. "Why the hell are you buying me a drink?"  
"_Levi_." She says simply, the vowels in my name running off her tongue beautifully. To my annoyance, I have to look up to see her eyes, our bodies are that close. I take a step back so i can look at her easier.

"_Please_." Another single word that sounds like golden honey from her lips. I sigh, knowing there's no way I can get out of this, and I don't think that I want to get out of this. Something about this girl intrigues me, and even if she annoys the living crap out of me, I still want to find out why she's so enthralling to me.

"One drink." I agree eventually. Daisy grins happily.  
"Yay!" She grabs my arm in her fingers and succeeds in dragging me off this time. "Levi Ackerman, I'm going to buy you that drink!"


	3. Chapter 3: A Drink Or Maybe Three

**Howdy, peeps! Thanks so much for your support so far! Maybe you could all leave me a review at the end telling me what you thought?**

**Anyway, enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter Three: A Drink...Or Maybe Three**

Daisy sits down on the bed with a huge thump, her eyes unfocused, from the alcohol, I assume. I stare at her as her hands move to her collar. Slowly, she undoes her shirt buttons until it's hanging open. Then she lies back on the bed, her bra visible and her necklace hanging down, shining in the light. The muted lighting of the room plays over her flat stomach, spilling over the soft skin like a bowl of honey. She yawns, turning her head into one of the pillows as she rolls her body over to one side of the bed. I sit on the empty side - the one closest to the door - and exhale heavily, trying to ignore Daisy's presence behind me. It's a real challenge, considering for some unknown reason, her presence is at the forefront of my mind. Briefly, I close my eyes and wonder how exactly this all started.

* * *

"This is the bar!" Daisy announces loudly as she pushes the wooden door open to reveal a heaving throng of crowded bodies. The air is filled with the sounds of yelling, talking and noises, and the smell of cheap whiskey, heavy sweat and the sickly sweet scent of even cheaper wine.

Daisy had dragged me through countless of back alleys to this seedy looking bar, which she claimed was the best she knew off. I didn't question her, mainly because I'm no expert in bars and whether or not they're any good. But even still, I think there could be at least one other bar that's better than this one.

"Great." I say unenthusiastically as she drags me into the crowd, battling to get to the bar. Finally, after making our way through the sweaty crowd, we hit the bar. Hit is an accurate word since the crowd shoves me into it, the wooden edge digging into my abdomen sharply. My dark grey eyes narrow at Daisy in annoyance as I bite back a hiss of pain.  
She grins widely back at me, her eyes sparkling.

"One drink." She argues, shoving the glass that's suddenly appeared into my hand. My fingers close around the warm glass instinctively. "Come on, Levi."  
"One drink." I agree and, trying to ignore the obvious sheen of dirt to the glass, I down the liquid contained within in one gulp.

Even though Daisy said only one drink, she ends up drinking around five drinks that I count, although I stick to the agreed one. Fuck knows how many she slipped in under the radar when I wasn't watching her. I assume a lot, since she can't even stand up straight.  
"Okay, steady there." I tell her as she half falls into my side. We're sitting off in the corner, our backs rested against the wooden paneled wall, our legs splayed out in front of us. Daisy's head remains on my shoulder, her hair tickling me slightly.

"Leeeviii!" She slurs, dragging out the syllables of my name. I met this girl only a few hours ago, and already she's draping herself all over me? Worse, I'm letting her? Something's seriously wrong with me, I think.

"Daisy." I acknowledge. Her huge amber eyes blink up at me almost childishly.  
"Thank you, Levi." She tells me, wrapping her arms around my shoulder, curling her legs up under her. She drops her head back down onto my shoulder, so she's literally half sprawled on top of me. "For helping me earlier. I didn't want them to get me _just _yet."

Even with the loudness of the bar, I can still hear the emphasis on the words 'just yet'.  
"What do you mean, Daisy?" I ask her, turning my head to face her. One of her hands languidly lifts up and her fingers tangle in the back of my hair. Instead of pulling away, I find myself leaning back into her hand.

_What the hell is wrong with me?_  
"Well, silly, I need to wait!" She smiles, her eyes unfocused. "Because otherwise, I won't be able to get my revenge."

"Revenge?" I question, finding her absentminded stroking of my hair quite soothing and relaxing.  
"Yeah." She nods vigorously. "The Military bastard scum..." Daisy yawns loudly, the alcohol she's consumed making her sleepy, I'd guess. That's one of the reasons I don't drink it.

But I am interested in this revenge of hers. Why? Going against the Military Police...trying to get out of a life spent in the garbage...it's not what our kind of people dream about. All we think about is keeping our heads down and stealing the occasional thing from them. Revenge is unheard of against those corrupt bastards, even if a few times I've considered it. But until I have enough information, I'm not going to attempt it.

"Why, Daisy?" I prompt, waving a hand in front of her eyes to check that she's still with me. Her wide eyes clink at me, her pupils focusing on my hand. "Why do you want revenge?"  
"They killed her." She yawns again, and before I can ask exactly who this 'her' is, Daisy collapses, fast asleep as she finally succumbs to the alcohol, across my lap.

I stare at the back of her head for a moment, noting that her hand is still tied up in my hair. She's gone to sleep? What the hell am I meant to do now? If I leave her, when she's this drunk, someone might use that to their advantage. That's how the underworld works, after all.  
I sigh, tilting my head back. Her hand falls, landing with a barely audible thump on the grubby floor. Really, I only have one choice.

I pick Daisy up and sling her body over my shoulders. Then I get a room (which the price ends up being surprising low, but I bet it's as filthy as a pigsty) and carry her up to it. I open the door and place her down on the bed, sighing as I do so. Only a few hours ago, I would of never thought that this is where I'd be spending the night. Babysittting a drunk out of her skull girl.

* * *

And that brings me back up to now.  
I glance to the side and see Daisy's back to being fast asleep. The light flickers off her skin, making it look like it's illuminated from within, and I quickly avert my gaze.  
_I guess I have no choice but to sleep here._ I think to myself.

"Go to sleep, Levi." Daisy mutters without ever opening her eyes.  
"You're awake?" I ask her, keeping my voice quiet.

"No. But I will be if you doing lie down right now." Her voice is low and would be threatening...or it would be if she wasn't dropping half her words due to her being intoxicated.

"Fine." I sigh. "Well, that settled whether I was going to take the floor or not." I lean down and unlace my boots, pulling them off. Then I lean over to Daisy and help her out of her boots too. If I'm sharing a bed with the girl, I'm not risking getting kicked in the face with her boots still on. That would hurt. I look at her once more, seeing that her face is half buried into the pillow, her mouth hanging open as she sleeps the alcohol off. How the hell did this happen? I don't even know this girl properly. Maybe I hit my head, because I'm making some very weird decisions lately.

I run a hand through my hair quickly before long down, my body hitting the bed with a solid thump. I can feel Daisy's presence next to me, and I attempt to ignore it, instead concentrating on how lumpy the mattress it under my back. Then again, it's comfier than my usual bed, so what the hell.

Although I close my eyes almost immediately after lying down, it's a long time before I actually fall asleep.  
And it's not because of the mattress.

* * *

_"Do you ever dream about escaping this life, Levi?" He asks me, a slow breeze wafting through his tousled brown hair_  
_"Why, do you?" I ask, raising an eyebrow. He leans back, staring up out of the crack in the ceiling, to gaze at the night sky._

_"Yeah, I do." He informs me loftily. "Don't you?"_  
_"We were born into this life, Mikel." I remind him gently. "We're never going to escape it._  
_"You don't dream enough, Levi." Mikel shakes his head, despairing of me._  
_"We can't afford to dream." I point out._  
_"But without dreams, we'll just be-"_

_"We will be just as we always are." I interrupt, the heels of my hands digging into the stone behind me._  
_"You're no fun, Levi." Mikel grins._

_"No, I'm just practical." I mutter quietly as he chatters on about the stars. "Someone once taught me to keep my head up, and not to leave it stuck up my own ass."_

_"Huh, Levi? Are you still talking? What did you say?" Mikel's hazel brown eyes blink at me in confusion._  
_"Nothing important."_

* * *

"Daisy, about last night-" I start, deciding to bring up the topic of this so called revenge now that she's woken up, seemingly slept off her hangover. We'd woken up a few moments ago, where Daisy had grudgingly thanked me for getting a room and not leaving her for anyone and everyone to take advantage of. I tell her it was no problem as she does up her shirt.  
"What the fricking hell did I do this time?" Daisy interrupts me as she pulls on her boots, tying up the laces tightly. "'Cause this one time, I-"

"Would you just shut up for a moment?" I cut in, my tone annoyed. Fuck, does this girl ever shut up? Halfway through the night, she was still yapping on, murmuring nonsensical words in her sleep. It kept me awake most of the night. Well, that and the added pressure of her sleeping next to me, being so close I could actually feel her body warmth radiating towards me, as if she was a fucking fire, she was emitting that much heat. Then again, it did keep me pretty toasty.

"Sorry." She mutters darkly, no doubt cursing me under her breath. "Feel free to continue, Levi." Her tone boarders on sarcastic, but it let it slide. This time.

"Last night, you mentioned something about wanted revenge against the Military Police." I begin, slightly apprehensive as to how will she act. Daisy's spine visibly stiffens, her whole body stopping in it's movements, as if she's frozen. Clearly, what I said provoked some sort of reaction in her: now I just have to find out why. Her eyes remain securely fixed on the floor in front of her.

"What did I tell you?" She asks evenly, her body still tightly coiled, but her time gives away none of the inner turmoil her body stance is displaying. A good skill, to trick people into thinking you're fine...or it would be if I wasn't actually watching her.

"Just that you wanted revenge. Because they killed 'her'." I shrug, lacing up my own boots.  
"Did I tell you who they killed?" Her tone is sharp and demanding. My grey eyes narrow, not appreciating her tone one bit.

"No." I tell her. Daisy lets out an audible sigh of relief.  
"Good." She mutters in a quite voice, so quiet that I almost miss what she said. It's silent for a while longer, until I speak up again, another question burning in my mind.

"Out of curiosity, who did they kill? And why do you want revenge?" I ask. Daisy unties her wavy reddish gold hair and combs through it with her fingers as she considers her answer. The faint trickle of light streaming in through the curtains catches the gold threads, making it seem like her hair is a branch of fire, forever shifting colour as it burns. The combination of her hair colour and the light is actually quite pretty.

I wait for a long while as she pulls her hair back to one side and quickly fastens it in position with a piece of ratty string that looks filthy. I try to restrain my cringe at her using it. She licks her dry lips nervously.

"My sister." She replies eventually, her back still to me.  
"How?" My next question is as blunt as the first. But I'm not known for being a sad sop: if I want answers, I get my answers, regardless of the emotion behind the said answer. But maybe it's better that way, because at least it's less painful for the person I'm asking.

"She was arrested, and executed." Daisy's response is also blunt, and devoid of emotion, maybe as a coping mechanism for the pain she probably really feels.  
"A lot of people get executed." I point out, pushing down my own memories of the boy I saw executed. I don't need to think about that now.

"I know!" Daisy snaps, turning to face me, her amber eyes blazing angrily. I keep my face in it's normal deadpan expression. Her anger doesn't faze me. "But Day was-" She takes a deep breath, calming herself. A wise decision. "She was unjustly executed. Blamed for a crime she didn't commit."

"So you're going to kill the ones who killed her." It's a statement, not a question, but Daisy decides to answer it anyway.  
"Of course. She was my sister." She says, manner of factly. "What kind of sister would I be if I didn't avenge her death?"

_A sensible one._ I think darkly, smoothing my hands out on my trousers. What Daisy's trying to do...it's stupid. Incredibly stupid. I can think of a million reasons why it would back fire and end up with her dead.

"Do you even know who set her up?" I ask finally.  
"No." Daisy admits sheepishly.  
"Do you even have a plan?" I arch one eyebrow, already knowing her answer.  
"No."

"So let me get this straight." I say slowly. "You want to get revenge on those bastards, but you have no idea who you want to kill - I assume you want to kill them?" I glance at Daisy for confirmation. She nods, a small jerky movement, barely noticeable. "And you have no idea how?"  
"That's about it, yep." Daisy smiles slightly. "What the hell are you planning on doing to get this revenge?" I blurt out. She chews on her lower lip.

"I don't know, be spontaneous?" She suggests, smiling again, this time hesitatingly.  
I stare at her with wide eyes. How the hell hasn't this girl ended up dead in a gutter somewhere? Pure luck, I assume, because without luck, there is no fucking way that she could of survived. She's just too stupid and carefree.

"I know a little about reenacting revenge." The words are out of my mouth before I know what I'm saying. Daisy looks up at me, her wide eyes narrowed suspiciously.  
"What are you saying, Levi?" She asks in a dangerously low voice.

"If you want, I can help you." I shrug, trying to make out that this is a casual offer I make to all revenge obsessed, legitimately crazy girls who fall on top of me after only knowing them for less than 24 hours. "Get revenge, I mean. I have some spare time, so what the hell."  
"Levi..." Daisy keeps her eyes narrowed. "Are you being serious?"

"Totally." I assure her. Somehow, this girl has gotten into my head, and I don't want her to walk out of that door and out of my life forever. I want to hold onto her tightly with both hands, and make sure personally that she makes better life choices from now on. "Daisy Hades, I'll help you achieve your revenge - if you'll have me."

It's silent, and the only noise to be heard is our breathing: although I can hear my heartbeat like it's in my damn ears. I swallow nervously. What ever this feeling is, that's telling me I need to stay in her life...I can't ignore it. So all I can hope is that she feels the same way.

Suddenly, Daisy's face splits into a huge smile. She jumps across the bed and grabs me in a bone crushing hug. My chin rests uncomfortably on her shoulder as she squeezes me tightly against her body, my arms hanging loosely at my sides. I notice that, for a street person, she smells surprisingly clean: under the layer of sweat, alcohol and dirt that lingers on almost everyone down here in the underground, I can actually smell some sort of natural fragrance. Limes and lemons, maybe. My forehead creases as I try to figure out what the scent is.

But my thoughts are cut off abruptly by my lungs - which are screaming for oxygen and protesting loudly to Daisy's arms being wrapped so tightly around me.

"I'm going to need to breathe!" I manage to wheeze out. Daisy leaps back from me, a faint red blush colouring her cheeks. She blinks rapidly, swallowing. Her necklace glints and shimmers from around her neck, and I make a mental note to ask her about it at a later time.

"Oh, yeah, right, sorry." She babbles. "You can help me!" She regains her composure quickly, realising just how enthusiastic that sounded. "I mean, if you want." Daisy adds on casually, brushing a few stray locks of hair away from her face. "I can do it without your fricking help, but..." She shrugs. "If you want to help, I won't stop you from joining me."  
I growl in frustration.

"You're not grateful for _anything_, are you?" I snap at her. She grins at me cheekily, seemingly not bothered by my annoyed tone. But why would I expect her to be? This is a girl who likes to get nearly caught, for the fucking _thrill_, of all reasons.

"Nope, not really." Her soft lips pops the 'p' like a bubble. I watch her rose tinted lips as they form the words she's speaking, as if enchanted, before quickly shaking myself out of it. _What the hell, Levi?_ "And you've just signed on to fuck knows how long of this, remember."  
I groan as Daisy chatters on happily. What the hell have I just agreed to?


	4. Chapter 4: Underground Rivers

**Hey guys, I'm back! And with a new chapter!**

***cue cheering***

**I hope you enjoy this one, and please leave me a review at the end. I like hearing what you guys think.**

**(Thanks for the reviews, follows and favourites so far!)**

* * *

**Chapter Four: Underground Rivers**

"So, what do we do now?" Daisy asks me, tilting her head to one side.  
"What do you mean, brat?" I ask her as I straighten out my collar. "We're going to vacate this filthy room."  
"First, don't call me a brat." She reprimands me. "I don't like it."  
"Noted." I comment drily.

"And secondly, then where will we go?" She questions next. "'Cause usually, I just crash at my place."  
"Your place is a dumpster, isn't it?" I say scathingly. Daisy gives me an indignant look.  
"_Hmmm_." She makes a protesting noise that rumbles deep in her throat. "Levi, why the _fuck_ do you think I live in _dumpster_?"  
I give her a pointed look.  
"You stink." I inform her.

"So do you." She retorts. "All of us down here are. We're not living up in the Interior, Levi! We're basically dirty rats."  
"We'll need to clean up." I tell her, ignoring her analogy. "And then we can discuss exactly how you were planning on avenging your sister."  
"I _did_ have a plan." She mutters darkly, brushing the shorter locks of hair out of her eyes. I gather that they are meant to be bangs, I think, but I don't think the hair cut works.

"I doubt it was a good one." I get to my feet. "Come on, Daisy."  
We walk out of the room, and I shut the door carefully behind me. I glance up at Daisy, who's amber eyes are watching me with amusement as I'm having to look up at her.  
"You mention my height one more time, and I'm not helping you." I threaten her calmly.  
"I wasn't going to, I swear." Daisy replies innocently, but I see the mischief sparkling in her gold depths.

We slip out of the bar/inn and head onto the streets. I push my hands into my pockets as we walk, a faint breeze blowing through my hair. We - well, _I_ \- suggest that we walk to an underground river to wash. I can feel the sweat clinging to my body, and it disgusts me. Even though the river isn't that clean, it's good enough to wash with.

Like rats, we scuttle through the dark streets, ignoring the homeless clutter at the side. I notice a guy stalk a young kid down an alley, a wicked shiny blade gleaming at his side. I turn my gaze away, knowing that even if I wanted to, there's no way I could help the kid. So I just keep walking on. Even if I did save the kid, I think to myself. I can't afford another mouth to feed other than mine - and now possibly Daisy's.

"So, Levi." Daisy starts conversationally.  
"What, Daisy?" I ask her, tiredly. Last night took up a lot of my energy (Daisy's heavier than she looks), and talking to her is no picnic either. She's like an excitable little puppy, 24/7.

"What's your deal?" She asks, tilting her head to one side as she regards me carefully. I look at her, requesting further explanation. "Why do you want to help me?" She elaborates. "It's not like helping me will actually benefit you that much. Actually, helping me could kill you. So why are you doing it?"

I glance back down, mulling over my answer as Daisy and I dart through an alley. I pull up a drainage hatch in the ground and she climbs in. I follow her, clinging to the rusty metal ladder tightly. The ladder creaks ominously underneath my boots, as if it will collapse at any moment. Which it could, of course. These underground structures were not built to be study an reliable. The maintenance on these sort of things stopped years back. After all, what's the point in keeping something safe for some homeless people whom the rich loom down on with distain?

All around us, all we can hear is the faint pounding of water, and the creaking of a thousand fragile structures around us. When we finally get to the end of the ladder, we're in a dark, slimy corridor. I can only see the outlines of things, illuminated by a soft trickle of light filtering down here through little cracks in the ground above us.

"I'm helping you because you're an idiot." I reply eventually. Daisy gives me an annoyed look.  
"I am not an idiot, Levi." She says. I ignore her.  
"And without me, you're likely to get killed." I continue.

"What, do you not want that to happen?" She teases me, her voice light. I can barely see her in the partial darkness, so I don't try and find her with my eyes. That would be a pointless exercise. Instead, I reach out with my hand and grab her wrist.

"That your arm?" I ask her, just to make sure I haven't grabbed something else entirely. She giggles.  
"If it wasn't my arm, you'd know, Levi." She informs me. "Because I'd make fucking sure that you did realise what exactly you were grabbing, okay?"

"I only needed a yes or no." I mutter underneath my breath as I start to walk forward, relying on my memories of this place to be my guide. For good measure, I reach out with my free hand and gently brush the wall with my fingertips, feeling for the deliberate slashes carved into the stone, pointing us in the right direction. I tug on Daisy's arm gently, and she follows me obediently. I hear her breathing, although it is quiet, and her footsteps on the slippery stone behind me. My fingertips dig into her flesh slightly as I reaffirm that she's still there behind me.

The path we're following starts to head downwards on a slight slope and I have to make sure I'm placing my feet securely onto the ground so I don't slip and fall.  
"Watch your step." I caution Daisy. "It's downhill and slippery, so you could skid over easily."  
"Thanks for the warning." Her tone is sarcastic. Not 3 seconds later, her hand grabs at my worst, her fingertips like an iron clamp into my skin as she nearly falls over. I smirk as I hear her boots slip, although the pain on my wrist was not worth it. Her grip on my wrist doesn't loosen, not until we enter the river chamber.

It's a huge cavern, a pool of dark water collecting in the base, streaming from a river that runs through the bowl like cave. A faint light hits off the shiny water surfaces, as there's a huge crack in the ceiling high above. But the light's good enough to see Daisy safely. I notice that her hand is still gripping my arm like a vice.  
"You know that you can let go now." I point out, my smirk still firmly fixed on my face. Daisy flushes a slight red, and she drops my arm quickly. I try to ignore the fact that I miss her holding onto me.

"Okay, so we need to wash off a little." I tell her. "I'll wait over her while you-"  
"Don't be silly, Levi." Daisy interrupts me with a cheeky grin as I'm about to tell her to go rinse off and I'll sit in the corner. "We're both grown ups. We can wash together in the huge pool, no problem."

My eyes go wide. Me and her? Together? In one river pool?  
"Keep your underwear on." I instruct her, my throat suddenly dry, so my voice comes out all hoarse sounding. "And keep to that side." I gesture towards the right edge of the pool while I head towards the left, not looking at her the entire time. I feel my ears slowly turning red. "Keep to the edge of the pool though. It gets pretty deep fast." I warn her. Carefully, without looking once at her, I start to unbutton my shirt. I pull it off and fold it neatly, leaving it on a nearby rock. Next come my trousers, and my ears start to burn with embarrassment. _What the hell, Levi? Getting a little embarrassed over some girl seeing you in a state of undress? Fucking hell. Something's gone seriously wrong with you._

I hear the whisper of the water moving as she moves into it. Keeping my eyes firmly fixed away from her, I walk in as well and splash some of the water over my body. It feels refreshing, having the water wash away all the sweat that's gathered over the last few days.

"Hey, Levi!" Daisy's suddenly loud voice in my ear startles me. I jump, and see her standing close to me, a smile on her lips, her reddish hair looking a dark brown as it dribbles water. Clearly, as I notice beads of water run off her forehead, she thought it would be a good idea to dunk herself in the water. My eyes can't help but wander over her, seeing the water run in rivulets of her flat stomach. I shake myself mentally.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" I hiss angrily. "I'm pretty sure I said-"  
"To keep to one side, blah blah blah." Daisy rolls her eyes. "So what?"  
"You're infuriating." I tell her tersely, turning my back on her as I scoop handfuls of the water up and proceed to pour them over my hair.

All of a sudden, something shoves me in the back, and I fall, face first, into the water. My whole body goes under, and I'm pretty sure I inhale a gallon of water. I surface again, spluttering for breath as I try and spit all the water back up.

"What the _fuck_, Daisy?" I swear violently, shaking droplets of water out of my eyes. I push my dripping wet hair back with one hand, my dark grey eyes scowling at her in a look that has literally caused people to wet themselves in fear.  
Instead, Daisy chooses to grin widely, and laugh.

"Now, wasn't that an easier way of washing your hair?" She says innocently. My scowl deepens.  
"I could have drowned to death!" I yell at her. "Fuck, Daisy! Do you have any brains what so ever? Or do you just do what you fucking want, no matter of the consequences?"

Daisy simply smirks at me, her hands on her hips. Her hair is plastered to her skin and face, and her amber eyes glint with amusement.

"_Shit_." I curse, wiping my hair out of my face again. I attempt to squeeze as much water as I can out of my hair, while Daisy looks on with great amusement. "I'll get you back for this." I threaten, trying not to stare at how the water is drying on her peach coloured skin. The dim lighting in this cave is terrible, but I can still see some raised outlines of scars. Which is a common sight on us people who live on the streets. Scars are just mementoes that you survived. Nothing more, nothing less. Down here, no one's going to judge you for your scars, however ugly they are. Because they can guarantee that there's someone out there with worse scars.  
But something intrigues me about Daisy's scars. Not that they look different to any other scars I've seen: I just want to know how she got them. I want to hear their stories, learn how she got them.

"Hurry up." I tell her, taking no notice of the direction my thoughts seem to be taking recently. " I need to dry off now." I give her a pointed look. Daisy merely throws her head back and laughs. Her hands swish around in the water, disturbing the semi still surface as she splashes more water up her, running her hands up and down her arms.

_Why the hell did I agree to help her? _A voice in my head moans.  
_Because you want to find out more about her. _Another voice responds. I disregard both of these thoughts, and concentrate in wading out of this damn river, cursing Daisy in my head as I cough up another load of the water and spit it up onto the ground.

* * *

**Thoughts? Please leave them in the review box down below!**


	5. Chapter 5: That One Little Distraction

**Howdy, guys! Thanks so much for all the follows, favourites and reviews! They made me really happy to see!**

**Anyway, here's chapter five. Enjoy, and please review at the end! I love hearing what you think!**

* * *

**Chapter Five: That One Little Distraction**

My hair drips water down onto my shirt, but it will dry off soon, so I don't mind that much. Daisy's arms swing at her sides, a graceful smile capturing her lips.  
"So where are we going now?" Daisy asks, pouting like an infuriating child. I roll my eyes.  
"I don't know, Daisy." I tell her, trying to keep my tone patient even though it's hard since she's acting like a total brat right now. _I would not be a good father._ The thought occurs to me. _Not at all. _

"Well, we have the whole day ahead of us." She points out. Her eyes sparkle as she says her next suggestion. "And I recall you wanting to go and talk about my plans, so why don't we go and find a bar-"  
"Daisy, we are not going to yet another fucking bar." I interrupt her quickly. I narrow my eyes at her: she merely smiles back. "Last night we were in a bar, and you got ragingly drunk and landed me in this mess."

"Hey, you offered!" Daisy protests strongly to my accusation. "And I was not that drunk."

"You were."

"Not!"

"Were."

"Not!"

"I am not engaging in this childish argument, Daisy." I sigh, running a hand through my hair. I've known this girl for what, less than 24 hours? And she's already driving me insane, but for some stupid reason, I can't let her go. Now, I've doomed myself for fuck knows how long of her reckless and strangely childish actions.  
"It's not childish." She mumbles, but otherwise doesn't protest to my comment.

"Well, we still need somewhere to go..." My voice trails off as I shove my hands into my pockets. We start to head down into the dirty streets of the underground. Daisy tosses her hair over one shoulder, and her necklace glints silver. It occurs to me that she didn't take it off to shower, so it must be special to her. Maybe someone she loved gave it to her.

_Such sentimentality_. I scoff internally. _I would never invest such much feeling in a simple necklace. _  
I deny that a small part of me longs for the ability to be able to call a possession like that mine. That all I really want to be be able to say that someone cared about me enough to give me something that would one day become that special.

"We could go to-" Daisy starts, but she's cut off by the clanging of a bell, and a small kid running by us, ringing it. I stare in the direction he ran from, my blood running cold.  
The Military Police are coming.

They run routine checks on these neighbour hoods, and I bet that they're searching for Daisy. After all, she's been stealing from them, hasn't she? And it's not like she's been trying to cover her tracks, is it? The Military Police, in their tan jackets and cocky expressions, appear at the top of the street, their rifles glinting in the dim lighting. Their very presence sends a chill over the street, especially some they don't really need an excuse to shoot us. If we glance at them wrong, then we're dead. And I don't fancy dying today.

They sneer at us, making us feel like the dirt we're considered to be in the eyes of the nobles, and we try and continue on with our daily business, trying not to draw attention to ourselves. Daisy and I start to edge into a nearby alley way when I see something in one of the men's hand, clutched like its important. Probably something to do with why they are down here.

Then I look closer. Held tightly in the man's hand is...

A piece of paper.

Scrawled across the paper, I can see the word 'Wanted'.

I see the rough sketch drawn onto the paper.

And it's a picture of Daisy.

.

My eyes widen as I realise that they're searching for her. My hypothesis is proven correct as I notice them grab a girl around Daisy's height and check her face. They push her to one side when they realise it's not her.

They're going to find her. I think desperately, trying to come up with some way to hide her. Daisy hasn't noticed that they know her face, and I know time's running out. The Military Police soldiers get closer and closer, so close that I can hear their conversation.

"...So, do you think this stupid wretch will be down here?" One man asks one of the only women in the squad. She turns her nose up, sniffing.  
"I doubt it." She says. "This is just a whole waste of time."

"But if we do see her," The woman adds on, as if as an afterthought. "If we do, I want to shoot her. Okay?"

The other soldiers murmur their agreement. I narrow my eyes at them, but then they start to get even closer, and my heart starts to beat faster than ever. I can practically hear my blood rushing around my body as my heart thumps frantically.

_They're going to notice her!_ I think panickedly, as my mind races to come up with an answer to our dilemma. And then, just as the soldiers get close enough to see Daisy's face, I do the only thing I can think of to stop them seeing her.

.

I kiss her.

.

I shove her up against the wall and lean up so my lips connect with hers. My hands grip onto her arms tightly, my fingertips digging into her skin, probably brushing her. But I need to keep her still, so she'll need to get over a few bruises.

Daisy's eyes fly wide open, obviously surprised with my actions. She makes a muffled squeak, her pulse skyrocketing.

"Military Police." I murmur against her lips. Understanding flashes in Daisy's eyes: if we're kissing, it'll look like she's just some street whore, so they won't look too closely at her face. She stops fighting me, and instead Daisy wraps her arms around my neck, pulling me closer to her. She angles her head down, so it's easier for me to kiss her. I let my hands run up her back, trying to make it look convincing, of course. Up this close, I can see that she's got very long eyelashes, which are oddly beautiful. They are coloured the same as her hair: a reddish gold brown. My ears perk up as I hear boots scuff against the pavement: the Military Police soldiers are moving on. My distraction worked.

"These street rats have no class." They mutter as I move my hands to Daisy's front. I press them down on her stomach, and she shudders at my touch.  
"It's like they don't know the meaning of 'get a room'." The snooty female solider from earlier sniffs. They walk off, and there's no more reason to keep kissing her anymore. But somehow her rose lips have captured mine, and I'm at loathe to stop kissing her. But I can't just stand here all day, making out with her, so I step back out of her arms, taking a few deep breaths to calm myself.

"Err, thanks." She mutters, her cheeks coloured a light red. Is she blushing? Why is she blushing? I wonder even as I feel my ears heat up. Surely she's not embarrassed? Is she?

"No problem." I clear my throat, almost awkwardly. "You owe me one."

"Hey, you got to kiss this!" Daisy gestures at her face, some of her trademark bravado and jokey attitude back. I roll my eyes.  
"That is not a good reward for saving you, Daisy." I tell her. Even though, I'd accept it as the repayment to my owe. I can still feel the ghost of her lips on mine, soft and sweet.

I shake my head, running a hand through my hair. Maybe I need more sleep? Because some of the things I keep thinking...they're not me.  
"It so is!" Daisy argues back. Going in the opposite direction to the Military Police, she links her fingers through mine. I stare at her as if she's lost her mind.  
"In case they look back." She winks. I try it to think about what dirt might be clinging to her hand: and now to mine. But I do note that her hand feels warm and nice in mine. As if it belongs there.

* * *

We end up sitting on a wall.  
It's the only place we agree on, with me refusing to go into another bar with her, and her pointing out that I haven't actually suggested anywhere else.  
So we go to a wall.

Daisy gazes off into the sky, her eyes following a pair of birds as they fly away, to freedom. A freedom we can't have.  
"I need to find this one guy." Daisy says quietly. "I don't know his full name, just his surname, which is Mikami, but I do know that he was responsible for Day's death."

"How do you plan on finding him?" I ask her, my voice considerately quiet.  
"I was going to sneak into the Military Police's HQ and find his file." She shrugs, the wind ruffling her hair.  
"That's a crappy idea." I inform her. "A very crappy idea."

"Levi! You're so mean!" She complains, hitting my leg lightly with the palm of her hand.  
"But with me helping you, it'll be easy." I continue. "You alone? You'll get caught for sure. Me and you?" I pause, and smile wickedly. "I'll escape, you'll get caught."  
"Levi!" Daisy hits me again, but she can't stop the smile from unfolding on her lips.

"What? Without me back there, you'd be dead right now." I point out to her. "Anyway, you need to be careful, now that they have a bounty on your head."  
"Dead or alive." Daisy nods. "That's what I reckon was written on the poster." She glances at me, her eyes sparkling with an emotion I can't exactly pinpoint. "You kissed me." She says, her tone slightly bemused.

"It was the only way I could think of helping you." I shift, a faint red colouring my cheeks.  
"Still, you got quite forceful." Daisy waggles her eyebrows suggestively. I punch her shoulder, not bothering to make it gently. She frowns at me, pouting again. "It was kind of hot." Daisy adds on, her tone thoughtful.  
"Shut up, idiot."

"Who knew a short man could be so domineering?" She continues, her eyebrows still raised.  
"Daisy..." I warn. Daisy winks at me, and twirls a strand of her hair in between two fingers absentmindedly.  
"I'm just saying, it was kind of cool for me to have to lean down instead of lean up to the guy." Her amber eyes smile at me. "It was... different. In a nice way, I mean." She adds on quickly. The sun is directly in front of her, and behind me, so the light shines over her features. She squints to look at me, her lips looking glossy on the light, her skin looking soft and very peachy.

"Idiot." I mumble, my ears getting incredibly hot all of a sudden. But I'm not too sure if I'm talking to her...or me.

* * *

**Any thoughts? Please leave a review in the box down below!**


End file.
